Undercover Tourist – Megan McCubbin

BBC Three series

Megan explains: All around the world bears are renowned for their strength, power and intelligence, yet across Asia they are being exploited for their bile and forced to live in rusty, cramped cages.

The moment that cubs are taken from their mothers in the wild, an endless cycle of abuse begins, which can last a lifetime of up to 30 years. Bile is a liquid used in traditional Chinese medicine but in Vietnam, since 2005, it has been illegal to extract and sell – so why are over 1000 bears still housed in farms there today? I travelled to Vietnam to investigate what is really going on behind closed doors.

It was a haunting experience for me and one that I will always remember. Personally, I feel that it is critical we make ourselves aware, no matter how hard it may be to confront, because by understanding the issues we are better equipped to solve them.